BUSCH: Preseason Thunder to roar into Daytona

NASCAR Preseason Thunder to roar into Daytona International Speedway
during January.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 3, 2003) -- Major League Baseball rolls out
its new season annually with Spring Training. The NFL preps for its
upcoming season with...

NASCAR Preseason Thunder to roar into Daytona International Speedway
during January.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 3, 2003) -- Major League Baseball rolls out
its new season annually with Spring Training. The NFL preps for its
upcoming season with training camps and a slate of preseason games.
College basketball debuts with "Midnight Madness."

Now NASCAR is packaging its own version of preseason to fuel
the anticipation of another season of excitement and unpredictability
that opens with the most prestigious event in the world, the Daytona 500.

NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway will play host to
NASCAR Preseason Thunder through the month of January as the NASCAR
Winston Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
and Goody's Dash Series converge on the world center of
racing's 2.5-mile superspeedway for the first official preseason
test sessions of the new year.

"With the holiday season finally over, I'm getting my annual
case of cabin fever," NASCAR Winston Cup Series Director John Darby
said. "I can't wait to get back in the mix with the owners,
drivers and teams as we prep for another NASCAR Winston Cup
season."

"Daytona's test days are a vital part of the recipe for
success at the World Center of Racing," Daytona International
Speedway President Robin Braig said. "For fans, the NASCAR Winston
Cup season kicks off with the Daytona 500, but for teams and their
drivers, everything starts with testing in Daytona."

NASCAR Preseason Thunder will offer some special features for
fans and media. All the sessions, which routinely run from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.,
are free of charge to fans, which will be able to access the Oldfield
Grandstand through the lobby of Daytona USA.

Fan Forums with NASCAR drivers, which will be part of the regular
admission to Daytona USA, will be held at various times during the
testing, allowing fans to engage in a question-and-answer session with
several of the series' stars. The first Fan Forum will be held
Tuesday, Jan. 7, beginning at 6:15 p.m., with NASCAR Winston Cup star
Rusty Wallace.

"Preseason Thunder will signal to media and fans that
our season is just around the corner," NASCAR Vice President of
Corporate Communications Jim Hunter said. "And similar to Spring
Training for baseball and training camps for the NFL, this period is the
first peek of our athletes with new teams, new equipment as well as which
teams may have the edge heading into the new season. The additional
accessibility and structure we are adding to the format will make this
event a valuable tool for all the major media markets across the
country."

The NASCAR Winston Cup Series officially opens NASCAR Preseason Thunder
with its first of two three-day preseason sessions, beginning Tuesday,
Jan. 7 and concluding Jan. 9 (with Jan. 10 as a rain date). The first
session will consist of the drivers whose owners finished in the
odd-number positions in the 2002 owners point standings. The group will
feature reigning series champion Tony Stewart along with Wallace, Kurt
Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton, Michael
Waltrip, Kyle Petty and Terry Labonte.

The NASCAR Busch Series will close out NASCAR Preseason
Thunder with a pair of two-day preseason sessions. Drivers whose owners
finished in the odd-numbered positions in the 2002 owners points
standings will run Monday, Jan. 20 and Tuesday, Jan. 21, with Wednesday,
Jan. 22 as a rain date. Drivers whose owners were in the even-numbered
positions will run Thursday, Jan. 23 and Friday, Jan. 24, with Saturday,
Jan. 25 serving as the rain date.

The NASCAR Winston Cup drivers open with the Budweiser
Shootout all-star event, which will be run under the lights for the first
time in history on Saturday, Feb. 8, beginning at 8 p.m. ET, and pole
qualifying for the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 9. Speedweeks culminate
with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16. Tickets for the Daytona 500 and
other Speedweeks events are available and can be purchased by calling
(386) 253-7223 or online at daytonainternationalspeedway.com.